Mitsubishi MM20 Digger

[Julian]

Hi, I'm new(ish) to this forum, having posted about a Thwaites dumper restoration.

Anyway, yesterday I was using my mini-digger to break the beads on some tyres with the bucket and having noted that there's some clever chaps here decided to test your knowledge

I purchased this a year or so ago from Cautrac in Bolton, it was a Jap import and going pretty cheaply because it had been stood around for a while. For me it is perfect, I just do little jobs around the place with it. 3000 hours, and (unlike some British stuff) very well maintained and has hardly any wear in the pins. The engine is a Mitsy K3D.

Would anyone know what weight it is, what approximate year it is and what it might have been sold as in the UK? Internet searches reveal very little suggesting that Mitsy never exported direct to the UK?

Tell me anything you can about it please, I've got a thick skin so ''warts and all'' would be appreciated!












The near bucket came with the machine, rather than teeth it has a blade attachment, what is the reason for this?



Cheers Julian.

[Robban_C]

The name MM20 could be for 2 tons.
The "blade attachment" is a cutting edge. Teeth isn´t always the best. Sometimes you want a bucket with a straight cutting edge instead.

[Nick Drew]

The name MM20 could be for 2 tons.
The "blade attachment" is a cutting edge. Teeth isn´t always the best. Sometimes you want a bucket with a straight cutting edge instead.

That's a tidy looking machine Julian

Tracks look new too!!

I would agree with Robban C that it is around 2 tons

We use those buckets all the time, they are nicknamed "Dummy" or "Gummie" buckets and are especially useful when digging around services, I also much prefer them when doing trench work and footings so you can achieve nice clean cut trenches

I do not recall Mitsubishi mini excavators being marketed here in the UK, although the larger machines were sold through Caterpillar dealership H. Levertons in the late 70's early 80's, they were good machines and I spent time on both MS120 and MS140 machines

Most of Caterpillars range of mini excavators these days are of Mitsubishi design I think

Nick

[Julian]

The name MM20 could be for 2 tons.
The "blade attachment" is a cutting edge. Teeth isn´t always the best. Sometimes you want a bucket with a straight cutting edge instead.

That's a tidy looking machine Julian

Tracks look new too!!

I would agree with Robban C that it is around 2 tons

We use those buckets all the time, they are nicknamed "Dummy" or "Gummie" buckets and are especially useful when digging around services, I also much prefer them when doing trench work and footings so you can achieve nice clean cut trenches

I do not recall Mitsubishi mini excavators being marketed here in the UK, although the larger machines were sold through Caterpillar dealership H. Levertons in the late 70's early 80's, they were good machines and I spent time on both MS120 and MS140 machines

Most of Caterpillars range of mini excavators these days are of Mitsubishi design I think

Nick

That's really helpful Nick (and Robban) I purchased a 9'' and grading bucket (that's hard, can't grade for all the tea in China ) from Cautrac and the invoice came with the description of 302.5, which I think is a Cat name? It sort of puts two and two together maybe?

One track is new, the other old. Before I took delivery of it they wanted to service it and the fitter said a track was cut very deep and needed replacing, which they did. I asked him to replace them both and I would pay the extra for the other one, but he said save your money, the other is still good for a while yet.

So maybe a Cat dealer could help with spares if I needed some. I've found a company called Diamond Diesels that have all the engine stuff on the shelf

Cheers Julian.

[Robban_C]

All the tea in China? That´s funny, we have the same saying in Sweden but it is about butter and a province in southern Sweden called "Småland".

Anyway, the first tip about grading is to use the bottom of the bucket. Let the bottom of the bucket "slide" in the ground. Curl (is that the right term?) the bucket out while it is sliding towards the machine to keep the bottom at a constant angle to the ground. If you want to cut more you just curl the bucket out a little more to get a deeper cut.

[Julian]

All the tea in China? That´s funny, we have the same saying in Sweden but it is about butter and a province in southern Sweden called "Småland".

Anyway, the first tip about grading is to use the bottom of the bucket. Let the bottom of the bucket "slide" in the ground. Curl (is that the right term?) the bucket out while it is sliding towards the machine to keep the bottom at a constant angle to the ground. If you want to cut more you just curl the bucket out a little more to get a deeper cut.

That's the problem, I have to move three rams together with co-ordination and I keep going wrong and also getting cross with myself

I can dig a hole easy, fill it in (a bit more tricky) and dig out tree stumps with it quite well. Grading really is hard for me, but I only have a few hours on it and just need more and more practice. Luckily I can save the day by dragging the blade thing (not sure what its proper name is?) backwards over the ground giving a smooth finish.

Julian.

[Nick Drew]

All the tea in China? That´s funny, we have the same saying in Sweden but it is about butter and a province in southern Sweden called "Småland".

Anyway, the first tip about grading is to use the bottom of the bucket. Let the bottom of the bucket "slide" in the ground. Curl (is that the right term?) the bucket out while it is sliding towards the machine to keep the bottom at a constant angle to the ground. If you want to cut more you just curl the bucket out a little more to get a deeper cut.

That's the problem, I have to move three rams together with co-ordination and I keep going wrong and also getting cross with myself

I can dig a hole easy, fill it in (a bit more tricky) and dig out tree stumps with it quite well. Grading really is hard for me, but I only have a few hours on it and just need more and more practice. Luckily I can save the day by dragging the blade thing (not sure what its proper name is?) backwards over the ground giving a smooth finish.

Julian.

Julian,

If you are not that used to operating machines it can take a while to master them But as the old saying goes "practice makes perfect" give it time mate and I am sure you will be grading stone before much longer !

Many of us on the forum have been in the seat since we were kids and as such had a great start but not everyone is so fortunate especially these days

Nick

[Robban_C]

Julian, you know that you must learn how to creep before you learn how to walk.
If you think moving three rams together is difficult you should imagine using all four and the pedals for the tracks at once. And the rolls at your thumbs for tilting and rotating the bucket as well.

Or a rubber duck with thumb rolls for tilt and rotation and an extra thumb roll for wheel steering and a thumb switch for forward/reverse. And an extra pedal for the 2-piece boom and high tension cables that shouldn´t be damaged or the whole factory would have stopped for several hours. Been there, done that and my brain almost caught fire from all the focusing on the task.

But you´ll learn!
All you have to do is to learn one piece at a time.

[IBH]

Going by the photos and model number i'd say the mini above weighs circa 2.0 tonnes.

The machine is probably a 'grey' import machine.
As I understand it Mitsubishi mini excavators are built by Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi, sold under the Mitsubishi name in Japan and sold as CAT's 'CR' range in Europe with the three smaller non CR models coming from CAT's Desford plant in the UK.

[Julian]

Going by the photos and model number i'd say the mini above weighs circa 2.0 tonnes.

The machine is probably a 'grey' import machine.
As I understand it Mitsubishi mini excavators are built by Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi, sold under the Mitsubishi name in Japan and sold as CAT's 'CR' range in Europe with the three smaller non CR models coming from CAT's Desford plant in the UK.

Thanks IBH. Yes the machine is a grey import. I was told that Cautrac nip over to the auctions in Japan (as you do ) buy stuff, containerise it and ship back to the UK. Seemingly the machines are in much better condition than the UK stuff of similar vintage. I've no idea how true that is? It's certainly has little wear, the bucket pins are almost as good as a gudgeon pin in a piston - someone must have greased it up twice a day in Japan!

Anyway, I've made a note of your info on my ''digger'' folder, it may help me find spares in the future

Julian.